Lea slowly lifted her head, taking in her surroundings.

Amidst a vast expanse of ruins, knights clad in armor bearing the Elvis Family crest were salvaging usable items from the wreckage. From Lea’s vantage point, she recognized this as the Elvis encampment—though the villa itself had vanished completely. Glancing sideways, she spotted two enormous footprints pressed into the soft grass.

*Could it be…?*

Muttering under her breath, Lea approached the prints. They were unlike anything human—not just in size, but in shape. Only three clawed toes marked the earth, each leaving deep gouges like a lizard’s talons.

Frowning, Lea bent down for a closer look. Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence behind her.

“Lady Lea Rodni. There you are.”

Lea straightened sharply. Before her stood Aston Higgins, the Alliance’s Royal Advisor, smiling warmly. After a stunned pause, Lea steadied herself and bowed.

“Advisor.”

“Well, no need to be so formal. I did summon you here, after all.”

Aston waved lazily, then hobbled forward on his staff. He studied the footprints, then turned to Lea with a grin. After a thoughtful silence, he murmured,

“What do you make of this, Miss Lea?” He tapped the print with his staff. “Your thoughts?”

Lea hesitated, then answered firmly.

“Sir, this was no human’s doing. Nor any ordinary beast. The size and shape are… extraordinary. It sounds absurd, but—” She paused, lowering her voice cautiously. “I suspect it was left by a Dragon.”

“Hmm. Hmm.”

Aston’s gaze drifted absently as he lifted his staff from the print. He drifted closer to Lea, eyes fixed on the ruined encampment.

“Miss Lea… do you believe Dragons still walk this world?”

“Sir, I—”

“I’ve read your file.” Aston cut her off smoothly. “The Rodni Family once flourished under the late Emperor—His Majesty Hees II, the Iron-Melter. But after losing your heir… and your lord’s… *unconventional* claims… the Crown deemed him unfit. Your titles and lands were stripped. Now you’re little more than commoners.”

He snapped his head toward her.

“But what if I told you I could restore your family’s glory?”

“What…?”

Lea’s frown deepened. Aston merely chuckled.

“Well, Miss Lea… do you believe…” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a choked, feverish whisper beneath his hood. “I saw a Silver Dragon last night.”

“What?!”

Lea jolted. Before she could press him, Aston continued.

“And just as you’d guess—it clashed with some other creature. Something… well, I know *what* it was. Their battle leveled our camp. Then the Dragon flew off.” He straightened, eyes alight. “Can you fathom my excitement, Miss Lea? A *Silver Dragon*! A being said to rival the gods! What could possibly ignite a mage’s soul more?”

His hand slipped into his robe.

“I hear your family’s fall was also tied to a Dragon. How fitting. Slay it. Bring its head to His Majesty Isaerel’s throne in the New Capital. Your House will reclaim its honor—brighter than ever!”

Aston withdrew a small vial filled with inky black liquid. Lea’s hand drifted to her sword hilt.

“No need to tell me, sir. If that Dragon is here, I *will* find it. It’s the purpose of my life.”

“Bold words. But do you stand a chance?”

Silence stretched. Once, Lea would have trusted her ancestral blade—Long Edge. But after giving it to Oren… she had no weapon fit for a Dragon.

Aston pressed the vial into her hand.

“That’s where my help comes in.”

“What is this…?”

“Days ago, a Human Hammer Knight arrived at my camp. You know what the Hammer is. He… died. Yesterday, I found this in his quarters—buried in the rubble.” He shook the vial; the liquid sloshed coolly. “My tests confirm it: Demon Blood.”

*Demon Blood.*

Legends flooded Lea’s mind. Aston pressed on.

“Whether it’s true that Human Hammer Knights need constant doses to sustain their strength… this vial survived the destruction. The only one intact.” He drew a sharp breath. “The key, Miss Lea, is whether you dare bear its curse. It will grant you power to face the Dragon. And I have the Knight’s other relic—his hammer.”

Aston snapped his fingers. Two men strained to drag a massive Stone Hammer before him. He patted its head.

“Make your choice, and this hammer is yours. I’ll aid your hunt. Claim the Dragon’s head for the Emperor. I only want its blood, scales, eyes, and brain—useless to you.”

*But invaluable for magic research.* Lea thought silently.

Aston clapped sharply, the sound jolting Lea back to the present.

“Well then! Your decision, Miss Lea?”

After a pause, Lea reached out and took the vial. Her grip tightened around the glass.

“I’ve fought for my House my entire life. If this ends the injustice against the Rodnis… I’d pay any price.”

*Even if it destroys me…*

*Brother can carry on the name…*

She drew a deep, steadying breath, meeting Aston’s eyes.

“Where do I start?”

“Ah! I know just the place.” Aston beamed. “Last night, I saw humans riding that Silver Dragon. One stood out clearly. His Majesty’s daughter takes a peculiar interest in him too. Wei? Ren?” He snapped his fingers, grinning. “Ah! Oren of Niweya. He and the Dragon were… unusually close.”